Ratch ef-wrench



(No Model.)

A. WILLOWS. RATUHET WRENCH.

N0. 562,689. Patented June 26, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT WI IIEOWS, OF REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA.

FtATC'H lat-WRENCH- srn'crriearfdn forming part of Letters Patent No; 562,689, dated nine 23, 1896. applicant haematite aiset. Se'rl'ai no. 571 ,2661- on mean-a Ta e whom; it may" Be it kn o wirthat I, ALBERT WILLOW'VS, a ci ti zen of theUni tedSt-ates', residing atRed land's,- in the county or San Bernardino and Stateof California, have invented new and useful-1 nprov'ements in Ratchet wrenches, of which the tollowing is aspecification.

My invention relates to ratchet wrencll e's adapted for operation u-ponvari'odssized nuts.

This wrench consists of a handle and interchangeable wrench-heads to fit into the handle to adapt the wrench for operation uponvariods-si zednuts.

An object of myin venti'on is to provide simpler and more convenient means fori-nterc'hanging the wrench-heads; alsoto" provide improved construction and arrangement of parts with relation to the ratchet, the

means for operating the same, and to construct very simple, compact,- and convenient reversible wrench with changeable heads.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of mynewly invented ratchet-Wrench. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same'with a portionof the handle broken away to show interior construction. The wrench-head-retaining dog is indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is al'ongitudinal midsection of the wrench on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is a View of one of the wrench-heads detached. Fig. 5 is a View of the several parts of the wrench before they are fully assembled. One of the arms is shown bent to allow the ratchet-head to be inserted. "lhe bend is exaggerated, so that the arm will not obstruct the view of other parts. In practice the arms will be spread apart only enough to allow the ratchet-head to be slipped into the journals therefor. In this viewawrenchhead having smaller sockets than those of the head shown in the other figures is shown at one side ready to be inserted into the handle when the parts are assembled and adjusted.

My wrench comprises a bifurcated handle A, having coaxial journal-bearings a a in its arms 1 2 5 an annular ratchet-head B, arranged between the arms and journaled in the journalbearings thereof; a wrench-head C, arranged to extend through the annular ,ratchet-head and project on-bothsides of the ghand le, and provided at one end with a shoulder c to engage one side of either the handle or the ratchet-head, or both, and provid e'd at the other end with an annular en- 5 circlinggroove c, and so connected with the 1 ratchet-head that it will" not rotate with relatioir thereto; a dog D, pivoted to the handle and arranged to fit into the groove, and the re- .versi ble click E, pivoted to the handle and arranged to engage the ratchet-head. The opening through the ratchet-head is preferably circular, and the wrench -head is arranged to fit in the circular opening.

To prevent the wrench-head from rotating in the ratchet-head, I provide one of the head's with a notch and the'other with a-tooth arranged to" enter the notch when the dog D .isin the groove 0.

3 indicates a notch in theratchet-head, and

.4 indicates a tooth on the wrench-head to fit into the notch 3 to prevent the wrench-head from rotating in the ratchet-head.

F F indicate springs arranged to hold the click in engagement with the notches of the ratchet-headto; prevent the head from turning except in the desired direction.

The click Eis formed of a single bar or rod bent-inte- V shape with an eye e at the point of the V to recei'vethe rivet G, which is inserted through the two arms of the handle, through the eye (2, and also through an eye CZ in the end of the wrench-head-securing hook D. The rivet G, when inserted through the several parts, is riveted at the ends, thus securing the arms 1 9 and holding them rigidly in place on each side of the notched hub Z) of the ratchet-head B, and also pivoting the click in place. The bar of which the click E is formed is preferably rectangular in crosssection, and is slightly greater in height at the eye 6 than at the end of its arms 6 e, so that the arms of the click will play freely between the arms of the handle.

H indicates a cam mounted between the springs and between the two arms 1 2 behind the rivet G.

it indicates a stem provided with a thumbpiece and pivoted in the arms of the handle. The cam H is fixed to the stem 71, so that when the stem is turned the cam will be moved to one side or the other to engage and 5 states press outward one or the other of the springs F or F. The springs F and F normally engage the arms e e of the click, and when the cam is thrown into position parallel with the axis of the handle the two springs will counteract each other and hold the arms of the click in an intermediate position free from the ratchet-head; but when the cam is turned to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, thus to throw the spring F or the spring F, as the case may be, away from the arm of the click which it would otherwise engage, the other spring operates to force the other arm of the click against the notched hub, so as to allow the same to rotate in one direction and prevent it from rotating in the other direction. In practice one wrench-handle will be provided with a number of wrench-heads, each of which is adapted to fit two sizes of nuts. In case the workman desires to use the wrench on nuts of a smaller or larger size than the head in the tool will fit, he will throw the dog D out of the annular groove 0, allow the wrench-head O to drop out of its seat in the ratchet-head, and will replace it with a wrench-head of the desired size and then slip the dog D into position. The operator can easily release the wrench-head with the thumb of the hand which holds the implement, and then can instantly insert the other wrenchhead and throw the dog back and into place.

To change the direction of the wrench to screw or to unscrew a nut, the operator can turn the thumb-stem h and instantly change the direction of the wrench.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wrench comprising the bifurcated handle having coaxial journal-bearings in its arms; an annular ratchet-head arranged between the arms and journaled in the journalbearings thereof; a wrench-head arranged to extend through the annular ratchet-head and project on both sides of the handle, and provided at one end with. a shoulder to engage one side of the handle or ratchet-head and provided at the other end with an encircling groove, and so connected with the ratchethead that it will not rotate with relation thereto; a dog pivoted to the handle and arranged to fit into the groove; and the click fastened to the handle and arranged to engage the ratchet-head.

2. The combination of the bifurcated handle having coaxial journal-bearings in its arms; the ratchet-head arranged between the arms and journaled in the journal-bearings thereof; the V-shape click provided with an eeye at its point and adapted to alternately engage the notched portion of the ratchet-head with its opposite arms; the rivet inserted through the eye to secure the arms of the handle and to pivot the click in place; the springs arranged to engage the opposite arms of the click; the cam adapted to be thrown to alternately engage the springs and press them respectively from their respective click-arms; and the stem for operating the cam, fastened to the cam and pivoted in the arms of the handle.

3. A ratchet-wrench comprising the combination of the handle; the annular ratchethead j ournaled in such handle and provided with a central circular opening; the wrenchhead arranged to fit in the circular opening and to extend through the ratchet-head and provided at one end with a shoulder and provided at its other end with an encircling groove; a pivoted dog arranged to enter the groove in the wrench-head; the wrench-head and the ratchet-head being provided, one with a notch, and the other with a tooth ar ranged to enter the notch when the wrench head is secured in place by the dog.

ALBERT WILLOWS. lVitnesses:

FRANK C. PRESCOTT, A. BROOK. 

